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Wednesday, June 26, 2013

A Reminder to Never Give Up on Your Dreams

Miss North Carolina 2013 Johna Edmonds

While I personally have never been involved in pageants as a contestant, I have had the opportunity to work with several smart, articulate, and beautiful young women who have competed in this often misunderstood world of its own. I first started working on a pageant committee to prepare each contestant for the interview phase of competition at a time when interview counted for a whopping 40% of a contestant's total score. It was during that window of time in the Miss America system that the private interview occurring behind closed doors was where the pageant was won or lost.

As a member of a pageant committee, I served as the question recorder and time keeper during the private interview, which allowed me the unique opportunity to see what actually occurs behind those closed doors. This was an eye-opening experience that gave me an entirely new respect for the young women and all they do in preparation for competition.

Soon after my time on the committee I started getting requests from other contestants to prepare them individually for their interviews. That's when I met Johna Edmonds, a sweet, athletic, level-headed and humble girl who had a dream to someday be Miss North Carolina. She and I worked together, both when I still lived in North Carolina and even after I moved to Nashville, TN, to get her ready for her preliminary pageants. I have watched her grow from a girl to a bright, articulate and beautiful young woman who never gave up on her dream. This past Saturday, Johna's dream came true and she was crowned Miss North Carolina 2013. Her determination and persistence has personally been an inspiration to me.